If you were buying this boat, would this concern you?

I guess the reason you post a pic like this is because it's the worst looking part of your boat and you want to be up front about it? If I were to consider purchasing this boat I would have to pay for a survey anyway because I don't know enough to feel comfortable spending my money but I'm wondering if I should even throw away money on a survey. I'm guessing that it would be relatively inexpensive to replace these but if this is symptomatic of the how the boat has been cared for shouldn't I be worried? Maybe I answered my own question and that's what you pay the surveyor for?

Replies

Yep! I guess those are the fuel/water filters. They are either way past due to be replaced or saltwater has been getting to them to cause that much rust. I would give that boat a lot of careful scrutiny before buying and a test run for sure.

That’s a mess !
Look at the wiring - it’s hanging freely,that’s not a good thing .the rust stains on those filters and fittings show either age,or a leak somewhere - gentleman that stated that is correct.notice the leaves and debris on top and around the washdown pump ?

all these things show poor maintenance practices - I would have a qualified individual check everything on that boat out - do this before anything !
You want a Sea trial as well ! the motors need to be able to reach their full,rated RPM - if not,you want and need to know why.

When I bought my boat a few years ago; I went in expecting to replace all the wiring, pumps, hoses..
I knew how, and it wasn't a big deal to do so. Plus, now I know where everything is. I'd almost rather do it myself so I know how.

You can use the lack of maintaince as a bargaining chip. I'd be concerned with the motors, fuel tanks and hull condition more so than the cosmetic stuff.

don't know where the boat is, but if it were in the hurricanes path it could have been submerged partially and would have lots of corrosion issues in the wiring system. those seperators are a definite cause to be very skeptical. BUYER BEWARE!

That one picture is not enough info. All you know there is that you need some new filters & a little clean up of a few minor issues. The condition of the hull & motor(s) is what drives the value of the boat. Accessories can mean something too.

You are asking us to look at one branch on one tree & judge a Forrest.

If the boat is within reasonable driving distance of you, then I would suggest that you go & take a look. Even an untrained eye has a good chance of figuring out if it worth calling the surveyor or not. If you tap on different parts of the hull & find some areas that sound hollow & others that sound dead, then I would turn thumbs down immediately. Soft decks get a no vote. If the motors smoke, spit oil, sound funny, etc, that would also get a no vote. The same goes for a rotted interior. If all looks good, then call the surveyor. If the filters are located under the pit & deck water sometimes drips on them, but the rest of the boat is good, then it may still be a good value.

How big is the boat? How old? What brand? What motors? Is it in the water or on the hard? Do you have any history on the boat? Have you looked up the NADA value & compared it to the asking price?

When shopping for used boats, I have found that I usually need to look at several lemons before I find the good value that I am looking for. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but an in-person view is worth a thousand pictures.

This boat was pretty far from me and wasn't significantly lower in price than other similar boats near me. After reading the comments here I've decided to not even waste my time driving to look at it. Thanks to everyone who responded.